News, Opinion, and Media Analysis on Cincinnati, Ohio and the World From a Unique Perspective

Monday, September 30, 2002

I hate to report rumors but the grapevine is reporting that 1160 WBOB-AM will be switching formats to "Christian" programming. Listeners are indicating that commercials are already appearing that are fundamentalist Christian advertisements. There is no information as to when this might take place. I really hope this does not happen. I am not a big "BOB" listener, but this town has more than 3 full time "Christian" radio stations now. I do not think any more are needed. I don't think any are needed, but that is a side issue. Radio is dying in this town as it is, but this will push it a little faster if it happens.

Men attempted to jump off hotelAre these guys totally nuts? Why only try a 34-story building? The late "Sky Punk" jumped from Carew Tower twice, so why not stick to the tallest building in town? I wonder how these crackpots got out on the roof in the middle of the night. I would have bet that at least one of them would have died. They are luck to have been caught.

School Illegally Reopens Under New NameAre there any sanctions to back up this action? What responsibilities lie with the Cincinnati Public Schools? I hope no State funds were used to run this version of the school.

Age Confusion for High School Student Suspended for ThreatJay Love from 1230 the Buzz complained on his show today about the media reporting LeRoy Brazile's identity and showing his picture in the newspapers and on TV. His age is listed as both 17 and 18 in various media outlets. Examples:

This suggests that maybe WLWT was incorrect or the others were lazy. Regardless of that I think the issue of reporting his name and showing his face on TV is made moot by two things. One is that his father filed a civil lawsuit on his behalf, which is what made this a public issue. The media generally only hold back the juvenile’s identity when only criminal charges are in play, the civil suit changed things. The other reason is that the young man willfully was interviewed on camera, as shown on WLWT. In this interview Leroy also contradicted his father's comments to Jay Love on the radio this afternoon. In the interview Leroy stated that he was hoping that the Judge would allow him to play in the Homecoming game that night. The father stated that the only reason for the lawsuit was to get him back in school for academic reasons. That sounds like a little bit of spinning the issue to gain position for the lawsuit, not an honest statement.

Sunday, September 29, 2002

State Shuts Down Sabis Int'l SchoolThis was a Charter school failure. Here is a problem for this type of school, continuity. Privately owned or operated schools rely on private corporations out to make money. If those organizations go out of business, then who will teach the kids? In this case the public schools will. The public schools are a required element of any civilized society. You can no more totally privatize education than you can fire or police protection.

WXIX-TV anchorman arrested, out on bailRob Williams was charged with writing a bad check for $2,016.02 as payment for an airline ticket in Japan. The ticket was used, the check bounced and payment on the check was not made good. Will Mr. Williams be working Monday morning on FOX19? As of this morning they are not reporting the incident on their website. Will they pull a UC and not suspend him at all? Or has he been fired already? His contract may have protections for him or for the company in incidents like this. They should at a minimum suspend him until he can clear his name, or keep him off the air. If he is found guilty he then can be fired.

Saturday, September 28, 2002

Huggins' condition improved after heart attackThis must be horrible for him and his family. I really hope Huggins recovers quickly. When he does I think Charlie Coles from Miami can provide some advice to Bob on being a heart-attack survivor and a Division 1 basketball coach. Get well soon Huggy Bear!

The Columbus Dispatch Website no longer Free to ReadStarting October 1st the Dispatch will cost $4.95 a month to read online, unless you subscribe to the print copy. This does not bode well for news coverage for the state. The Dispatch has good state government coverage that Cincinnati does not have. I fear this is the future of most newspapers. This is going to kill blogging at some point, or it will just be transformed to more original content. This will also cut off people from other communities, unless that is where blogs can thrive. If local Columbus blogs can keep the rest of us up to date on the Dispatch's coverage, we will be able to keep informed. The next step will be for other newspapers to follow suit. The Cincinnati Post will fold into the Kentucky Post in a few years. At that point the Enquirer will look to charge for subscriptions. Lexis/Nexus may be making a comeback in the future if this trend continues. The Dispatch will see its website loose nearly all of its traffic outside the metro area. They will, however, see local subscriptions rise, which is their plan. If I lived in Columbus I would pay for the online edition. I think Gannett and Scripps-Howard are waiting to see how this turns out.

My hope to cover more statewide issues will not be as fruitful as I had hoped. I hope the Enquirer will pick up this slack. That is a pipedream, but one can hope.

Chris Anderson at Queen City Soapbox brings up a point that I had not thought about before. Lt. Col. Ron Twitty is free to work again as a police officer. I think it would fitting for the Village of Evandale to hire him. I am serious. It would help Twitty and Evandale's image. He might have to take a lower level position, but I think Roach and Twitty would share a common interest, disdain for Chief Tom Streicher.

Also a Note for Chris: I do not think Nate has a job, I do not know about Amanda Mayes, but Kabaka Oba is a bus driver for the Metro.

Boycott no closer to goal This sounds a bit like a column to me. It lacked a direction. They only thing I got from it was the boycotters will not give up, which was obvious. They are making this a political campaign, not a protest. This is a permanent element to the City in my opinion. The only way it will end is for the BUF or the CJC to have dominance over City Hall. This is just a political movement, a power grab. This is a progressive populist movement. Social Conservatives teaming with economic progressives (Socialists) and making an authoritarian movement bent on a simple proposition: control of City Government, or death to the City. There is no middle ground. The BUF and the CJC want to create a city with a majority of black people, which is their goal. That is the manifestation of their black separatism. Anything short of that will be not end the boycott.

Timothy Thomas' Brother Arrested On Drug And Weapons ChargesAngela Leisure seems to not have done a good job in raising her children. One is dead, partially due to his belief in automatically running from the police, even though you supposedly did nothing wrong. Now her younger son is arrested on drug and gun charges. How could the activist community let this happen? The activists certainly knew this kid. Did they not try and help him? They may have tried, but failed. That failure will surely be blamed on the "White Man" at his trial. I wonder if Ken Lawson will be representing him.

Nate Livingston showed his apathy towards this kid:

"Cincinnati is a powder keg and if something had gone wrong on this arrest, it is likely that Cincinnati would explode in violence," said Nate Livingston.

Where was Nate to try and get this kid out of the drug world? Oh, I forgot, Nate has been in and out of jail. He is to busy with his own appeals to help the brother of Nate's adopted Martyr. He is more worried about tossing around that powder keg he is referring to, while the “Black Fist” has a constant blowtorch flamed up and ready to ignite a riot.
More from Akron Beacon-Journal and WXIX.

Robert C. Gates seems to regurgitating GOP talking points. He polished it up with a slam of the network news anchors, but otherwise this sounds like an application essay for an internship at the RNC. The real questions Robert should be asking are this: Why did Bush wait this long to change the civil service rules for these departments? Why were they not changed by executive order before? Additionally, what civil service rules apply for the FBI and the CIA? Can Bush Fire a bad Agent at will? I am sure it takes a few hearings to fire an FBI agent, but Bush thinks a Border Patrol Officer is more of a concern? I wonder why those questions are not addressed. I am laughing. I don't really wonder. I just like to think I wonder, because I will pull my hair out in rage if I don't hope that Administration is really trying to reform the FBI and CIA. I will not be holding my breath, nor stilling on any billboards until they do.

Brian James Kloetzel a contributor to the Miami Review is off on a couple of points in his latest column. One is his contention that the GOP will pick up seats in the House and Senate. I do not think any polling numbers support this contention. I think a good race-by-race analysis indicates the Dems will pick up a couple seats in the House, but not gain control, and the Senate will not change its balance. The other point is that I am most certainly not better off than I was 2 years ago. My 401(k) is in the shitter, 3,000 innocent people are dead thanks to foreign borne theocratic fascism, domestic theocratic fascism is on the rise in this country, my pay raises have been negligible in the last two years, and government secrecy has ballooned to an art form. My life is not unique either, so I would say we are on the "wrong track."

Friday, September 27, 2002

Colerain Football Player's Suspension ContestedThe Judge made the right decision. The parents of this kid are over-reacting. The kid was charged with a crime. Schools can suspend him for behavior problems at any point. There is no review board he can appeal to for a school suspension. He must face the consequences of his actions. His parents have of course filed a $100,000 lawsuit against the school district. Opportunism at its worse. The kid's father is a Cincinnati Police officer. I am sure that this case got the attention it is getting and will get more because of the race of the kid. These parents have the earmarks of "not my child" syndrome. This "affliction" occurs on parents who are in denial of the actions of their children. They cannot and will not admit that their child could have done what he is accused of. Too many parents fear the bad appearances of their children over the behavior of their children.

BRONSON: They're sorryOk, Is Peter off his medication? How much can one right-winger rant? I do not think it is possible for Peter Bronson to rant about anything and not mention Bill Clinton. Bronson needs Bill more than water. This column was really all over the place. It was a catalog of Peter's shit list. I wonder if Peter will be voting for Bob Taft. Bronson fits into the profile of a fanatical morals voter, and the Lt. Gov. nominee running with Taft does not appear to fit his religiosity. A tough choice for the Bronson’s in this State.

Hagan lectures boycott leaderI think Mr. Hagen has lived out a dream that most of the people in the Cincinnati Area have had. Hagan has my vote for taking a stand. I wonder if he will make any gains in what should be Taft country. I must applaud the Enquirer for this story. It is a very positive story for Hagen, and it was reported fairly. Taft supporters would have a tough time disagreeing with a thing it reported. I think I will have to read this story more than once. It is like watching a game winning home run in the bottom of the ninth. Hagen has helped all local democrats with this stance. The GOP can't hang the boycott on the party as a whole, like the Kentucky GOP is trying to hang Gov. Patton's scandal on the whole Kentucky Democratic party. The ranks in the boycott took a hit with this; I will listen to their talk radio reactions. I envision a big anti-democrat stance from the CJC from now on.

Flag dragged, but no arrests made this timeWhen you are not taunting, intimidating, and threatening people, you generally do not get arrested. If the boycotters did this at Oktoberfest, they would not have been arrested. They want confrontation. They want to provoke people. They want attention to their bigoted agenda. The oddest thing that still bugs me is the issue of the “video”. The article stated "One of the protesters did just that a few hours later at the demonstration in front of the courthouse," referring to the judge’s suggestion to police of video taping the protest. I observed the same thing at the September 20th protests downtown. Where is the videotape of the Oktoberfest protest? Why are the protestors not rolling out the video of the alleged beer throwing and "N" word spouting white people at the downtown festival? These claims were made in bold fashion and they could be supported in similar style by releasing video to support the claims of the CJC press releases. They could even put unedited video on the web, avoiding fears of media bias. Why have we not seen this video yet? If there is no video from boycotters, then why did they not record it? They tape everything else, but they skipped their biggest chance to catch the results of their provocations on tape? I do not think so. The only logical conclusion: the tape does not support their claims. Truth is not the friend of racists and bigots, and that is why the boycotters do not try and use it.

Charge of disrupting meeting is droppedSince when does disrupting a meeting have to mean the meeting could not continue? A disruption is an interruption that causes the meeting to stop, unable to function. The meeting can then continue once the disruption ends. In this case the person was arrested and the meeting was able to continue. The compliant indicated she disrupted the event but the charge is disturbing. Here is the law Ms. Watts was charged with:

§ 2917.12 Disturbing a lawful meeting.
Text of Statute
(A) No person, with purpose to prevent or disrupt a lawful meeting, procession, or gathering, shall do either of the following:
(1) Do any act which obstructs or interferes with the due conduct of such meeting, procession, or gathering;
(2) Make any utterance, gesture, or display which outrages the sensibilities of the group.
(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of disturbing a lawful meeting, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

Based on the TV footage I think this woman was guilty. This sounds like either a misinterpretation of the law, or a bit of judicial nullification.

Protester picked up againHow much are people like Terry Summers influenced by Jay Love's Monday radio stunt? This stunt may turn into Jay's permanent shtick, which might just add a little push to another fanatic. If Jay wants to compete with Bill Cunningham by fighting fire with fire, or in this case acting with acting, I think he will need a bigger stage. Instead I believe Jay should stick with a honest opinion, not role playing.

Tuesday, September 24, 2002

Coalition wants to change hotel porn channelsThe Theocratic Fascist Phil Burress and the CCV are out to take their propaganda to the whole country. Yet again Phil is helping Cincinnati look like the Puritan Mecca of the Midwest. My question is: did Peter Bronson of the Enquirer forward Burress to someone at USA Today? Both newspapers are part of Gannett, so my theory is not totally out of left field. Utah might be the only other place where this idea will get wide spread support. I think Phil and the CCV members should pack up and move to Utah. I think he would fit right in, and leave the rest of us here in peace.

Archaeology Magazine: "PYRAMIDS IN JERUSALEM""Carvings on an ancient ossuary in the Cincinnati Art Museum depict a pyramid-topped tomb in Jerusalem according to University of Cincinnati professor Steven Fine, who was the first to recognize the significance of the engravings. The discovery adds to the small number images that show what Jerusalem looked like in the first century."

Cincinnati Post Editorial: "An independent commission"Kudos to the Post for endorsing a blue ribbon probe of the 9/11 failures. I also am glad to read their assessment of a problem few in the media seem to want to address: "As the Bush White House is prone to do, it has suddenly reversed itself." Bush also did this on the issues of nation building, Middle East engagement, U.N. engagement, and international military intervention. Far too often, the media have been letting Bush change his mind on the fly, offering no criticism of why the changes occur. Instead some in the media (FOXNews) attack Al Gore for a thoughtful speech, instead of finding the clear omissions, diversions, and contradictions in Bush public comments. Bush continues to get a virtual Pass from the mainstream media outlets, and gets clear support from outlets like FOXNews.

Expert: Jorg didn't kill OwensbyBoth sides will be going back and forth throughout this civil lawsuit. No one will be swayed and the public will remain divided on this issue. I have lost all interest in what happened. I do not trust anyone who is party to the lawsuit, nor any group supporting one side or the other. Here is the Enquirer's version.

Politicians taking message online via e-mailEmail should be used more bad candidates, but the line between Spam and legitimate email is thin. Hagen will need more than email to get his message out, but this is a great way to keep the activists informed about an issue and mobilizes them with a common message when needed. Email lists are a growing means of communication and notification that remains semi-secret, allowing covert information from being made public directly.

Hamilton County, OH BallotHere's the League of Women Voters website listing all of the candidates for office and ballot issues for this November's election. This is the best source for general information about the election.

Monday, September 23, 2002

Jay Love Joins Hate Group?Love's On Air Attitude is Either a Radio Stunt or an Act of BigotryOn today's edition of the Jay Love Show on 1230 the Buzz, Jay with a very slight joking lint in his voice professed his endorsement of the Boycott and his "enlistment" into the "Black Fist," a local black separatist and hate group supporting the boycott. Jay's three-hour rant was troubling. Well, it was more than troubling, it was disgusting. Jay was promoting the abandonment of peaceful protest and instead has embraced the use of confrontation, taunting, threats, and intimidation. Jay applauded yesterday's protest at Oktoberfest where protesters tried to make people feel "uncomfortable." I guess Jay feels that taunting people with swear words, calling them racists and bigots for being white, and making baseless allegations of criminal actions are justified measures that are supposed to change people’s minds. The only thing it will do will be to make people fear you or make people hate you. If you want to be hated and feared Jay, then keep up that kind of protest. You will get that, along with violence. Hate and fear breeds violence. Jay is promoting the intentional instigation of violence. It appears Jay thinks the only solution to the problems of "blacks" is a race war.

Jay was "impressive" with the level of bigoted statements he was making. His statements that Oktoberfest was filled with "hoards of racists" and that they were all engaged in drunken behavior was a very vividly clear example of bigotry. What will still never cease to amaze me is what Jay and the rest of the Buzz can do. They can have on racist groups, give them an open forum, and then even joke with the racist group members about joining their group. If Cunningham or McConnell did that with the KKK or a Christian Identity Group, they would be called every name in the book, and run out of town on a rail. Jay Love would apparently be happy to have over Kabaka Oba, a known black racist, for dinner at his house, but would never want a white "bigot" over to eat, because he does not like that kind of person. The hypocrisy is almost to thick to cut with a buzz saw. It instead might just be really thick bullshit being laid by a rich kid trying to relate to the fellas from the hood.

Ministry to gays draws protestsDisputes within specific religions normally get little attention from me, but here I see the stench of far right Roman Catholics. Most of the time the far right Christians are the fundamentalist Protestants, but the Catholics have their own jack-booted wing to cause trouble. Persecution of homosexuals is nothing new for Catholics, especially local Catholic radio talk show hosts who specialize in outlandish stunts that are meant to entertain, but just bore the average person to tears.

BRONSON: Hate crimesYesterday Peter was out in left field, but today he’s done some good reporting. Reporting is not normal for columnists, but that is only way Peter can produce a good column, so stick to your journalist roots, Pete. A side note: The Ms. Paula Dickerson incident was first reported publicly by her father calling into Mike McConnell on 700-WLW.

Three arrested after fight at festivalTaunts, threats, and provocations against people trying to just have a good time will get you nothing but trouble. These "protestors" were alleged to have called people "Mother Fucker", "Son of a Bitch", and called at least one man a "child molester" right in front of his own child. This group at one point allegedly linked arms and prevented people from entering Fountain Square. It is clear to me that one of the motivations of the protestors was to get into fights or arguments and disrupt law-abiding people from having a good time at an event open to EVERYONE. These protestors just do not like having white people living in "their" city. They are not protesting for civil rights, they are protesting for power. They don't have the power, and they want it. They don't have money, and they want it. They don't have the dominant culture, and they want it to be there's. If they keep on provoking people with threats and taunts, they should expect that someone will respond.

I find Nate Livingston to be a liar. I do not think anything he says to be credible. He is the source stating that beer was poured on Amanda Mayes. There is no one else stating such. There have been claims that video was made of the protests. If there is film of all of the claims of protestors, then it should be made public. If they withhold it from the Prosecutor's office they are breaking the law in my opinion. If they are instead going to sue someone, then they are just opportunist scum. Well, they are opportunist scum for many other reasons, so their inaction is moot. If they want the public on their side, release the video of the alleged spitting, racial insults, and beer throwing to the media. The media will air it. If they do not release the video there can be only one reason for not doing so; it shows nothing of what they claim.

Sunday, September 22, 2002

GOP seizes on Patton ammoOk, if the GOP is going to make this an issue in races that have no connection to Governor Patton, why not investigate all contact with the women suing Patton to see if any influence was used to get her to sue Patton and create a scandal.

Yes, I am reaching, but Mitch McConnell should not be playing politics like this. It is the most hurtful and slimy type of politics known. It is not a surprise that a Republican raised the morality litmus test. Historically, they tend to play morality police when campaigning more often than Democrats. If this type of gutter politics really matters much to the outcome of any race in Kentucky is the real issue. In today’s world of a polarized political paradigm, little changes quickly, unless the candidates running are directly involved. Lies in this case will not make much difference.

BRONSON: Prime-time smutPeter is not a square; he is a puritan. Peter wants to demagogue every aspect to sex and views on sex that do not reflect his Leave it to Beaver lifestyle. Peter, you are a prude. The term "square" went out of the vernacular when you were less than 10 years old. I would think that Peter wants to live in the mythical 1950's of his reactionary mindset. I cannot grasp this desire for uniformed conformity that Peter regally professes. Peter wants to turn over our culture to the theocratic fascists like Phil Burress of the CCV. Phil Burress and the CCV are the American Taliban. People don't object to that statement, mainly because it is true. When you profess a fascist, theocratic, and oppressive political agenda, I think the parallels to the Taliban are self-apparent. I guess Mr. Bronson thinks showing a little ankle is risqué enough to separate him and the CCV from the Taliban. Those small differences are not enough to soften the steel-toed rhetoric from the CCV. I think Peter should just turn off John Ritter's show and turn on FOX News. He will get plenty of right wing opinion there to even quell his needs.

Saturday, September 21, 2002

Livingston out on bond, back to protestingI did not see Nate when I was there. Though, he is easy to miss. With Nate’s in and out of jail routine getting more frequent, I wonder is he trying to smuggle stuff in? He’s a jackass, but I did know there was a possibility he was a mule as well.

Suspect to face judge he protestedAh, now this makes sense. Terry Summers, aka "The Delegate With The Black Fist", appears to be the same person who regularly calls into 1230 the Buzz with the name "The Delegate." Summers regularly makes bigoted and racist comments on that station with impunity. The group he claims to be with ("The Black Fist") is a black separatist group and a hate group. Is Ken Lawson the official Lawyer for "The Black Fist?" Lawson must be laughing at these idiots on the inside or in private. If he really supports their cause, then Lawson must support their racist beliefs and their separatist movement, thus making him a racist and black separatist. Lawson could instead in public be supportive of them because it gains him media attention for doing so. It is a PR plus for him and instills his "credibility" as a fighter against the "white power structure", what ever that is supposed to be. If Lawson truly wants to help Mr. Summers, he would seek to have him examined by a shrink, and possibly force him to be institutionalized.

Burned dog may be fight rejectWhen PETA makes sense the issue at hand must be egregious. The person or persons who committed this act are dangerous. I would not be surprised if they are gang members or live a parallel lifestyle. $1,000 is not going to cut it as a reward, but I applaud PETA for the effort. If they could get off the anti-milk and meat propaganda campaign, they might get more support.

For Miamians and non-Miamians alike a new website from Miami University Students The Miami Review "An Online Journal of Commentary." My blogs are now listed, and I would invite all Miami related bloggers to visit the site and submit your blogs. Thanks to the Editor Don!!! Will the editorial page of the Miami Student be able to keep up?

Friday, September 20, 2002

Patton admits to inappropriate relationshipWill Patton survive this? Before Bill Clinton I would have said no. At this point he will not be forced by the outcry to resign, he will just have no future in politics. He will not be able to win another race again.

Why did the boycotters not protest Tavis Smiley's Cincinnati Appearance?While I was checking out the boycotter's protest of the AFL-CIO dinner, I got the gumption to ask one of the protesters why no one protested Tavis Smiley earlier that day. I asked a gentleman who was standing at the Fountain Square garage entrance. He was 54 years old, from West Chester, and wore a UAW tee-shirt. I failed to ask him his name, which is an amateur mistake. I am not much of a reporter.

His answer was coy. He basically said that Tavis Smiley's appearance was fine because he brought a "message." I do not know what that message was. I did not hear him speak either at the conference or on the WMUB broadcast. I asked how that was consistent and his response was an example that they do not protest the Red's games either. I should have tried to find a leader of this protest or I should have tried to go the CJC or the BUF directly, but I really am not a reporter, and I did not want to pretend to be one. Taking these pictures was as far as I went. This gentleman and I proceeded to have a discussion about the entire boycott race relations issue. I really did not ask good questions. I should have done better. He just tried to lay the guilt trip on me. He spoke of Jorg and Roach and racial profiling. Those are really red herrings, but I did not respond to him with what I would have liked. I should have gone through the list of demands. The only good thing I asked him about is why he was protesting along side groups like the "Black Fist" and the "New Black Panthers," both of which I advised him are hate groups. The conversation got to a point where I asked him in general what percentage of people in the City were part of the KKK. He said 5%. I laughed outloud. I then asked if he really thought 5% of the nearly 2 million people in the metro area were members of the KKK. He then laughed out loud at the 2 Million number and said he meant only City residence. I laughed again. I said that they only KKK person I new about lived in Amelia. I think that if people really think that 5% of City residents are members of the KKK, I think they are really ignorant of what is going on. If people think the KKK has any real power anywhere in this city they need to have their head examined. There are about as many KKK members in the City as there are members of the "Black Fist". This man seemed very nice and a very pleasant person, but he also did not seem to be a member of the Clown Posse. I hope his opinion of the number of KKK members in the City is not common among black people in this area. If it is, then we(the City) are going nowhere fast.

Tavis Smiley's Appearance Goes UnnoticedI walked outside and inside of the Hilton Netherland Plaza and saw no protests of Tavis Smiley breaking the boycott. I saw several of the conference attendees. I even heard one of the WGUC on air announcers. His voice is like a foghorn.

Tavis was in town to help promote his NPR program and he appeared on WMUB of Oxford's Fourm program, as this picture from their website indicates.

Thursday, September 19, 2002

Ruby's wife arrested (3rd item)Speaking of gossip, what is Jeff Ruby's wife doing? I am surprised this is only covered in the Post's news briefs. Mrs. Ruby had another case where she appealed a driver's license suspension back in 1992. The records of that case are limited, and the original reason for the suspension is not clear on the court records. She may have had her license suspended for actions that did not occur in Hamilton County, but she sued the BMV here. That is the only logical explanation I could come up with as to why other court records are not listed. I know Jeff Ruby is viewed highly by most in the media, but I would think this would warrant a stand alone story.

Stomping on flag leads to protester's arrestAs long as you own the flag you can do what ever you wish to the flag. It is private property. What you can't do is stomp on or burn someone else's flag, unless the owner of that flag gives permission. This guy sounded like he had bigger issues than stomping on a flag. When you are carrying a knife, claw hammer, tire iron, and a toy gun, I think you might be dangerous and menacing. This man also appears to have had another disorderly conduct arrest back in August. That case is still pending. He sounds like he might be in need of a physiological evaluation.

Councilman proposes $500 littering fineCranley can put on a classic dog and pony show. He got his name in the papers, and local TV news. He can now claim he has cleaned up the city. His smoke and mirrors will only get him so far. He really is a hack politician.

City Hall hears it from the west sidePrice Hill and Westwood have been ignored recently, and they have been falling to pot. This was just a showbiz stunt, but it does get their issue a little more attention. Crime is spreading further into another neighborhood, and the City must get out in front of the problem. They don't need pointless litterbug laws; they instead need proactive policing. Say "FU" to the race baiters, and go bust the criminals.

Sensible Don is back with a new column. He comments on the Twitty situation. Don needs to create a perma-link for his columns when they are initially posted, but that is just the bane of every blogger. Don also needs to add a link to myself and Chris Anderson's blog.

CityBeat: City Lights "News to Use: Strengthen the Picket Line" (2nd item)It now goes without question that City Beat is clear in favor of the boycott. That was obvious to the casual reader, and City Beat may have even stated such previously. It became obvious with their article, which is akin to a public service announcement as to where and when people should go if they wish to participate in a protest against the AFL-CIO fund raising dinner. I wonder if the CJC boycotters are going to dress up in Pinkerton uniforms. Maybe, maybe not.

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

CityBeat: Railing Against Transit TaxI support Issue 7. Doug Trapp presented a good summary of the two campaigns For and Against Issue 7. Both camps seem to be playing to the stupid voter, but a majority of people would qualify as stupid, whether they vote or note. Therefore it just depends on who can play to the whims of the bigger mass of stupid people.

CityBeat: Your Negro Tour Guide "Dead Man Walking"The basic legal fact that Kathy and most people screaming for Jorg's head fail to realize is that Jorg was found not guilty on the assault charge. The jury was hung on the involuntary manslaughter charge. The involuntary manslaughter was alleged to have been caused by the assault. If he did not assault him, the underlying offense is taken out of play. The defense could argue that Roger Owensby Jr. was not assaulted, and that if he was not assaulted, his death was not legally involuntary manslaughter. Bottom line, all of the new evidence you have, short of an admission of guilt, will most likely not be enough to convict Jorge of involuntary manslaughter, assuming fair jury is seated, not one bent on ignoring the law and imposing emotional justice. That is why Mike Allen is not going to try Jorg again.

This explanation will never satisfy most who want blood. That is common for humans. We don’t do a great job of thinking with our heads. We tend to let our emotions run the show. I wish Kathy Wilson would take the time to use her head. She is looking for “Absolute Justice”, meaning she wants her emotions satisfied, not adherence to and fair application of the law.

Luken: Drop boycott lawsuitWhy does Luken want the CAC to drop this lawsuit? The boycotters don't have the constitutional right to use intimidation and indirect threats to force a party to a contract to break said contract. Even if the CAC loses, I hope they keep the boycotters tied up in court.

Hagan puts new duck ad on the WebSurprise, Surprise, a fair article on Hagen. I do wonder how the AFLAC lawsuit will turn out. I really do not think they have a case. I would like to see if they have contributed to Taft or to the GOP.
UPDATE from the Columbus Dispatch: The Federal Judge hearing the case refused to issue a temporary stay, allowing the ad to go on in use while the court proceedings continue.

Tuesday, September 17, 2002

Lawyer claims flaws in Boyles indictmentThe actions of this attorney must stem from the Twitty Grand Jury debacle. Is this an attorney doing his job by stretching the truth, or is the Grand Jury process a joke? I hope this is just a lawyer reaching for threads with a doomed defense. I would guess that every defense lawyer is going to look for any uncrossed "t" to help raise doubt over every Hamilton County indictment. I wonder how the reputation of Mr. Fagal, foreman of the Twitty Grand Jury, is faring at City Hall. Will he remain employed there much longer?

Boycott leaders protest prosecutorAre the boycotters going to protest Tavis Smiley? Who is that you ask??? You need to read my prior post. I am surprised I have not heard anything else about Tavis Smiley. The conference he is taking part in is for program directors for public radio stations. They are a very influential segment of the media. I thought about email the various local media outlets to ask if they were aware of any protests for this event. I would not expect a reply, but would like to see if they reported the story. I'll just have to wait and see.

It appears that Cincinnati Nation can't make up its mind. Is it a blog or is it a News outlet? The following "post" from their site is nothing but a misrepresentation of the issue.

Just like the South in the 60s, Cincinnati jails civil rights leader for a minor infraction one of the leaders of the economic boycott of downtown Cincinnati is back in jail Monday night. Nate Livingston was sentenced to 60 days behind bars last June for climbing on stage and using a bullhorn to interrupt a speech by Mayor Charlie Luken.

This then links to a story from Fox 19. The story reported none of what this post suggests, and this post has no facts to support the justification of what Nate Livingston did. He clearly broke the law. The comparison to the South is just wrong. I would guess the editor of CincyNation.com was not alive in the 1960's to know. I was not either, for the record, but I would not make such a baseless statement. In a second story from this website had this outlandish headline “Anti-progress? Chabot wants pollution causing, smelly, street-clogging buses.” Now, I happened to be pro-light rail, but this kind of headline smells of Hearst and Pulitzer.

“They can be statesmen, or they can ensure the money that could be spent here would go to cities such as Dallas, San Diego or St. Louis,” Mr. Schneider said.. “To lead the opposition to a strategy that other cities are following with great success seems to me to be short-sighted.”

The "they" includes Fellow Republican John Dowlin and Democrat Dusty Rhodes. I just hear no alternatives to light rail. I hear knee jerk anti-tax measures. I hear a short-run "if I can't see it now, screw later" attitude. I hear the typical Cincinnati attitude, do nothing and just "pray", and then it will just go away. I would like to know if Congressman Portman will take a stand on this issue. It would be interesting to see how his new mix of City/Suburban/Rural district changes his positions. This might be one where it does, or at least keep him quite about it.

Sunday, September 15, 2002

BRONSON: Truth mattersPeter is stating the obvious, but to many people the obvious remains an illusion brought on by the mythical magic hand keeping the black man down. I think most people, black and white, understand that Twitty lied to police. Some people think that is no big deal, and should not have been made into the issue it was. In the past, it has not been a big deal. It should have been a big deal then, but just because past actions were swept under the rug, it does not mean this one should have been. I hope the police department will no longer sweep this kind of incident under the rug in the future, no matter the race of the officer. My advice will, as usual, fall on deaf ears.

Saturday, September 14, 2002

Judge dismisses Leisure/Reece lawsuitNothing in here about a "settlement." Jay Love from 1230 the Buzz indicated on his week in review show on 09/13/2002 that this was settled and that inferred an acknowledgment of wrong doing on the part of the Reeces and Mr. Washington. Unless Jay has some inside information, there was no settlement. This is the third report of this dismissal I have read and none include any settlement.

Last I checked, the Netherland Plaza was smack-dab in the middle of downtown Cincinnati. Tavis Smiley is also listed on the agenda for that Friday as part of the annual meeting.

12:30 - 1:45pm
Lunch Forum with NPR's Tavis Smiley (Pavilion Ballroom)
The host of The Tavis Smiley Show brings his trademark passion and energy to Cincinnati for a luncheon to remember. Come and hear for yourself what the buzz is all about.

Has smiley been approached to boycott this event? Will he appear? Will there be protests of him or of the local public radio stations? Next Friday I will be on scene to find out.

Blacks point way for cityMost of the overall tone of this article is good, but Lynch's quotes are nothing but a desire for a quota system in public and private organizations. I am a supporter of Affirmative Action. When I say affirmative action I mean providing increased recruitment and advertisement of opportunities to minorities and women, but that is not a quota system. That does not mean you hire someone based on their race or their sex, whether they are black, white, a woman, or a man. Each comment from Lynch does nothing to reduce the impression that he is nothing more than a passive black separatist, looking to create or take over a local, state, or national government dominated and controlled by people of his race, and his race only. I hope this article can be a defense to that attitude and instead illustrate that joining with the city, state, and country should be the desire of everyone, including all minorities. Sectarianism is best left to the Old World.

Clinton tells Democrats Hagan can beat TaftWith enough money, I could be Taft. Enough is just to much for me to get. Hagan is help by Clinton's appearance, but only in getting out the base. The right wing down here hears nothing much about the governor's race, and I doubt even know the former president was in the state.

Patrol focuses on teen driverReactive policing will do nothing, especially when reactive to media pressure, not factual increases in incidents. Why are there more accidents in the last month? School is back in with more kids riding together during rush hour. This is as much of an "epidemic" as kidnapping teenage girls.

Pataskala officers fired over beatingWhy weren’t the CBUF and the "Black Fist" out protesting here? Why are they not screaming for these officers to be arrested and charged with assault? I wonder what the race of person beaten was. Hmmm? Do I even need to guess?

These two cops do appear to be total thugs and should be arrested for assault. If the videotape shows enough to get them fired, it should be enough for an indictment.

Violent week adds shootingI am not sure what to make of this article. "Drive By" shootings in the suburbs? Were the shooter and victim locals? It appears they were not. It would appear that inner-loop crime just happened to spill way out into the suburbs. Is this story going to fill West Chesterites with so much fear that they move back to the city? Ok, after you finish laughing at that question, ponder for me, if you will, the idea that little West Chester really should fear city crime from Hamilton, not from Cincinnati. That is their geographic reality. I do not want Cincinnati to get piled on while Hamilton goes on with its commercials promoting their great city, without mention of their historically higher crime rates than the Queen City. I am taking a cue from the Bush Administration here by making a preemptive defensive of the City. The blame for this increase crime would surely fall on Cincinnati by many of the West Chester residents. I hope their transference is kept to a minimum.

7 Ohioans among 400 richest AmericansOk, why the hell is this a separate story? Is there a story for each state? Did NJ.Com pick up all of them? The only up note is Richard T. Farmer. I say this because I graduated from the Richard T. Farmer School of Business at Miami University.

Friday, September 13, 2002

Judge frees morgue photographerCondon should not return to prison. His sentence was far too harsh, and the trial Judge seemed to be using jail as an interrogation tool, trying to get him to name names. The man is a ghoul, twisted, and a bit nutty, but the injury he caused was not extensive and he had some kind of permission from multiple people in the coroner’s office. I hope his appeal somehow allows him to receive a reduced sentence, and released with time served.
More on the story from FOX 19 and WLWT.

Election case not dismissedThe plot thickens. Phil has a problem, but how far it will go before the election is not known. The problem for the public is that this will not get much play from the Enquirer, evidenced by its absence in today's edition. I will be looking in tomorrow’s. 700 WLW will not report this since their parent company is part of the scandal, so the details will not be known. Phil will have to rely on his campaign money and legions of GOP backers loyal to the death to win, which should on paper allow him to win. This might keep him from going on the attack, but with his friends at Clear Channel will do what they can to get him into office.
More on the story from WCPO.

Mike McConnell and Double StandardsMike's show today had two guests. One was from Stonewall Cincinnati, and the other was from the Young American Foundation promoting a list of college course that he claimed were bad. Mike rode the person from Stonewall very tough and wasted the entire time discussing the charter issue, instead of the current news where Stonewall removed the boycott backers as leaders of the group. The guy from the YAF was brought on and he and make had fun going over his list of "bad" college course, only one Mike questioned being there. I was displease with Mike's uneven treatment of the two guests. The Stonewall person got the treatment one would expect from a talk radio host, the other man was not even asked the motives and purpose of the group he represented, and even why and how he formulated his list. I was so riled by this disparity, that I sent Mike an email:

That site is nothing but a right wing political action group. Why do you
not state on the air that this guy is from a right wing conservative group?
That would be reasonable, but is it just assumed that everyone who gets no
hard questions from the hosts on your station is a conservative? Mike, if
your station broadcast TV pictures it would just be FOX News.

Brian

His response was that it should have been obvious that this group was conservative and Stonewall was liberal, as well as being flippant with my comments. My point was that his station asks hard questions to liberals, and soft questions to conservatives, so I guess that is the only to know who is who. He is telling me that I am right, I have to assume. I wish he would not make his listeners assume. I wish he would be up front with the motives of his guests. He presented this guy as a person who completed a survey of college courses in a scientific and honest manner. Instead it was a group with an agenda. His information was nothing but an exercise in cherry picking.

FOP, Lemmie battle brewing The FOP is not going to get much support for their Union cause. They can only count on the die-hard police backers, and even they will not expend much capital on this one. Here is where Fangman and his right wing political views lose him traditional union support. Lemmie is making the right choice, and the FOP is stuck with it.

Thursday, September 12, 2002

Report on police not conclusiveCity Manager Lemmie is still going to conduct an outside study of this "problem." This "study" will find nothing. This study will not compile evidence of wrongdoing. It looks at policy. The discipline polices are not the problem. The only possible problem is the manner in which those policies are administered. The initial report confirms no wide pattern exists, just that black officers either commit more or are cite for committing more policy infractions than non-black officers, by percentage. There will be no finding that blacks are being “mistreated.” I would bet the numbers are consistent with overall criminal infractions in the general population as well.

Bomb scare prompts evacuationThis story did NOT appear in the Cincinnati Enquirer. There were wire stories about two planes with "terrorist" scares on them, but the Enquirer failed to have a story about this Ohio incident. They could have skipped on picture of a flag for some news. Instead they are falling into the local TV news trap.

Outside Expert: Police Officer Killed Roger OwensbyThis is the story that will be filling 1230 the Buzz's programming tomorrow. I do not know the facts of the Jorge case to know what this matters. I am sure many will be out looking for him to be retried. I do not know why this report was requested by the city. I assume as part of the civil case, and not criminal proceedings. I would guess that no additional criminal charges will be filed and/or Jorge will not be retried.

Lawsuit Dropped Against Cincinnati's Vice MayorOk Mr. TV Reporter, why did they drop the lawsuit, or rather were any reasons given as to why the suit was being dropped? This suit was paper thin, and a bit of a set up by Ken Lawson, but it was made into a Federal case, literally. A civil RICO case, I did not even know that was possible. I guess Alicia Reese was not so brash when she was calling for Assistant City Solicitor Fagal's job on a platter. I wonder if 1230 the Buzz will bring this story to light; after all they had facilitated the near public conviction of her by their callers.

P&G endorses light rail plansThis is a big shot in the arm for the light rail backers. I would guess P&G might add a few bucks to their campaign. What I wonder is that will the hoards of P&G employees, who I would say are a heavy majority Republican, vote for this? Questions on party affiliation beg a different question. Will party politics play a real role in this or will City vs. Suburbs be the real battle. That battle parallels the Democrats vs. Republicans competition in the county, but only in a general sense. This vote could go down to wire, and an edge like P&G might pull a rabbit out of the hate, or a few TV/Radio commercials, to save the day for light rail.

Apartment Complex Controversy Heats UpIt would appear that the county Republicans are pulling a Pontius Pilot on Huntington Meadows. Mike Allen appears to think this is all the City's Problem. Way to pass the buck!!! The county is not clean on this issue, and their desire for secrecy is something I see in conflict with the FOI Act. I do not see this as a national security issue, and if they are civilly liable, then tuff shit. The county suburbs can't just wash their hands in the river, and walk away from the people of the City. Sharing in the benefits of the City means you have to share the problems.

State office tower evacuated in bomb scareThis situation appears to be a false alarm, but the facts indicate there was reason to be concerned. He seemed to have been hanging around the building for over four hours without a known valid reason. It seems someone screwed up in security.

CityBeat: Your Negro Tour GuideKathy almost stays fair, but she holds on to the desire for revenge. If blacks are not paid reparations, she will want her grandchildren’s grandchildren to keep up the fight and seek money from my grandchildren's grandchildren. That is part of the fallacy. She and those who seek reparations, see this as whites paying blacks. Instead Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, Whites and Blacks will pay for their revenge. This whole idea is based on anger, hatred, and greed. Those who want the money want it to line their pockets, they want to gain power, and they want it to quell their psychosis of hatred towards whites. As long as Blacks are African-American, and not just Americans, there will be "racial problems." Money is not going to make you feel better. Revenge will not make you feel better. Subscribing to a progressive populist collectivism will not make you feel better. Separatism will not make you feel better. Being and individual person will make you feel better.

CityBeat: Party Poopers I am shocked to say that this is a "News" article from City Beat. Maria Rogers did a good job of reporting Brinkman and Schaff's positions and history. If there was a bias, there was a slight bias for Brinkman. If anything Schaff got the shaft. (Sorry I have a thing for cliché puns.)

Scotty Johnson, president of the Sentinel Police Association, a group of black officers, declined to comment.

If Johnson is not out saying much, I would guess that he either was told not to by Twitty, or he now knows Twitty was lying from the start. Either way, Johnson's silence helps quell the controversy for a while.

Ohio Building Evacuated After ScareI hope this was a guy making a joke, and not some nut case. I am surprised this has not made the Cable news channels yet. They are either keeping everything out of the spotlight not in NY or DC, or they just see it as a hoax. Ohio Network News is covering the same events as CNN, so I guess there is nothing much to the story, or it is just not been released yet.

BRONSON: Sept. 11Bronson, if you want people to remember, how else are they going to remember if they are not reminded of it? I guess you are against showing the Death Camps from WWII over and over again? Was Schindler's List just a horrible abomination to your fundamentalist eyes?

What is the point of remembering unless it is used like a grinding stone to sharpen our resolve? What is the point of dragging out the pictures of victims, unless we remember that the evil is still loose and must be killed?

I guess Peter is not a fan of history. I find it funny that he only wants us to act like he wants us to act. Why should I not want to remember without feeling all of the Jingoistic rage? Gee, I don't know why I don't want to feel like a crusted old gun toting bigoted anti-intellectual theocratic fascist? Isn't it odd that I don't want to be that? Is it Pete?

I hate Bush Day on 1230 the BuzzNow, I really am no George W. Bush fan. I did not vote for him, or any Republican for that matter. I don't really like him, and his mindset. However, some of the callers into the Buzz spouted unfounded and nearly slanderous comments about George Bush. The Nation of Islam followers and the some of boycott gang, also part of the NofI, are raising completely false propaganda claiming the conspiracy theories about 9/11. I wish the Buzz would screen out at least some of the racist callers, but I guess they would not have many callers.

Unfortunately Jay Love is playing up Nelson Mandela’s comments on Newsweek's website, where Mandela suggests the USA is usurping UN power because Kofi Annan is "a person of color," as Jay said. This quote sums up the problem with Mandela:

Why should there be one standard for one country, especially because it is black, and another one for another country, Israel, that is white.

If this attitude is shared by a large part of the media and intellectual class of the black community, then race relations are not going to get better. What is wrong with that quote, you might ask? The "black" country he is talking about is Iraq. Since when are the people of Iraq "black"? Racially speaking, Iraqi's and Israeli’s are not much, if at all different.

Note to Jay Love: The Nelson Mandela interview is not in the current issue of Newsweek. I looked page by page, before I went to the website. It is a Newsweek Web exclusive. Jay seems to only read the web version, and does not read the fine print on the page.

Twitty plea deal brings anger, reliefTwitty takes a slap on the wrist and retires; yet people still think he was forced to accept it. Twitty got off light. He gets to retire with his pension intact, and a minor offense on his record. He can work or just play golf all day for the rest of his life. I do not see him as hurting much, other than his pride. Twitty obviously lied to the investigators, and also may have with held information. Either Twitty did this, or someone he knows did it. There was no "hit-skip." There was a violation of the law, a violation of the trust place in a high-ranking police officer. I hope the conflict over this case just goes away. If his supporters allow this to linger, they will only build more needless conflict.

For those interested in a no holds barred commentary on the 9/11 anniversary, please check out my "other" blog: PulpStalag the Blog. This is not for the faint of heart. I will not hold my tongue. I will speak out, exercise the freedom of the press, and of speech to present my thoughts and my ideas on what is happening on this day of remembrance. I will not be crude, but I will not give out many passes for what is said or done. I will add in posts on Cincinnati Area and Ohio where they fit. Let me know your thoughts on what is going on across the country.

Intelligent-design proponents seek spot in social-studies classIt would appear that ID is not going to be part of the Ohio State science curriculum, but barely. The religious groups supporting it are now trying to get it into social studies classes, while some on the state board are open to only putting it into a comparative religions class. It belongs in either a religion class or back in a philosophy class where it came from. As I have stated before, ID is nothing but a combination of the Cosmological and Teleological arguments for a "god". I do not see how any remotely honest person could put this into a science class.

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

AFLAC squawks over 'Taft Quack' adsThis is good news/bad news for Hagen. It looks bad that he is being criticized for possible trademark/copyright infringement, but he gets the link for his website out there for free. I would say the Enquirer editors might see this as a negative story, thus the belittling headline, but the attention is not negative for Hagen. Hagen will need all of the free press he can get. Taft has the money to buy all of the vomit inducing commercials anyone would need. This may be the last "good" news Hagen gets in the pages of the Enquirer.

As part of the plea, Twitty will be placed on administrative leave by the city for 90 days, and he will submit a letter of retirement with the 90-day period, according to Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen.

City Manager Lemmie has stated that Twitty has submitted his letter of retirement (resignation).

I thought this might the results after the departmental disciplinary review, but things moved much faster than anyone would have thought.

Lt. Col. Twitty Takes a PleaI do not know what counts he is pleading to, but I am sure they are not felonies. This is an initial story, but the precedings are going on as I type.
Source: Plea Deal Possible In Twitty Case

Grand Jury Delayed?Lincoln Ware of 1230 the Buzz is reporting that Lt. Col Twitty's lawyer has asked Mike Allen's office to delay presenting evidence to the grand jury for 24 hours, allowing them time to consider a plea agreement. He is quoting his "sources." Since Mr. Ware has some level of friendship with Mr. Twitty, I would guess he is getting the information directly from Twitty camp, or from the Black Police Union, the Sentinels.

Judge: Nothing New On Twitty TodayTwitty looking for a deal, or Allen looking to offer one? Reports on WLW-AM today also indicate that Twitty's lawyers met with the prosecutor, but that nothing fruitful came out of the meeting. Today the 2nd grand jury is set to hear evidence about the Twitty case. It is unknown whether witnesses will be recalled, or if transcripts of testimony will instead be read. Either way conventional wisdom suggests they mostly likely will issue another set of indictments, but what on what crimes is the issue.

Monday, September 09, 2002

History teaching plan has criticsIf I recall, I barely had any ancient history at all in school. I believe all of it was in the 9th grade. I had NY State history in 7th, kind of a US history in 8th, 9th was world studies, 10th was European History, and 11th was US history again. I don't really think ancient history is that important to kids. I would prefer to teach them European history from say 1300-1750, to ancient Greek history. There is just too much to cover in depth. A general world history might cover things better, where a little ancient history could be added in during high school. I will have to defer to my father, an education expert, on when kids can handle what level of historical information and context.

Cincinnati bucks crime trendThis was not a surprise. The cops stopped being proactive last year, and that is the main reason crime went up. Keith Fangman can take credit for this. His tantrums are hopefully put in check since he left office as the FOP president. I would still guess he is running for Sheriff once Simon Leis steps down. What is sad is that Fangman will win, especially if Scotty Johnson runs against him, which I think many are trying to muster him up to do. In an election between those two, I will write in Bugs Bunny, or better yet Chief Wigum.

Queen City Soapbox: Cincinnati and Miami U.Chris Anderson has this down well. My only disagreement is that I really have never met anyone from UC who thought they got a better education than one at Miami. They may say it is just a good, but not better. That may be a little older attitude from older Alumni. I would say that is clear that the standards for getting into Miami are higher than UC, X, UK, OSU, OU and all other public schools in Ohio. The only thing I do not like about people's attitude when I tell them I went to Miami is their assumption that I was in a Fraternity. I wasn't, along with 2/3rds of the rest of the students.

Chris at Queen City Soapbox again is on point about Twitty's second grand jury, especially when he refers to my posts. Tomorrow they are slated to here testimony. I wonder how long they will take to indict him. If they do not indict Twitty, I will be shocked and amazed, and will want to know the racial make-up of the jury.

Smog Closes Tri-State SchoolsI find this very hard to believe. I am not an anti-environmentalist or anything, but Smog closing school? I would have really said it was because some schools did not have air conditioning. If it's hard to breathe at school, how will it be any easier to breath at home?

USS Cincinnati caught in tug-of-warI was thinking to myself today: where has Howard Wilkinson been? I don't know if he has been a gone or just writing story, but I have not been reading, but I am glad to read him again. I would not have a problem with bringing the USS Cincinnati here, but I don't want this to cost the City much money, if any. Newport might be a good fit for the sub, but that would be one hell of a snub to the City. I envision a pissing match ensuing, and they fallout being more finger pointing and no riverfront progress.

“The Longest Day: Ohio Journalists at Ground Zero,” an exhibit of on-the-scene coverage of Sept. 11 sponsored by the library in cooperation with the Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists, will be on display Wednesday through Sept. 30 at the Main Library, 800 Vine St.

This looks interesting, and it has more depth to it than just a one-day event. I will spend my day at home, blogging away and commenting on the news coverage. I hope that the local folks let the networks do there thing, the don't localize this international story. It will make them look like vultures, well more like vultures than they already are.

Shooting raises alarm on Main St.Ok, on this issue I could raise the usual, but instead I have to wonder if this incident is just an aberration? I thought the Main Street area already had an increased level of police presence. Do they really need more? If so, I think I will not be visited Main Street any time soon, not that I go there often anyway. I am more of a Mt. Adams guy anyway.

Sunday, September 08, 2002

The New OSU dean aims to teach others about evolutionThis is one story you will not see in the Enquirer or the Post. The only problem with this story, is that I wish the Dean could have rebutted the anti-evolutionist's contentions, which amount to baseless propaganda, but a reporter is generally not equipped with much general knowledge.

Crime falls, jitters intensify in airport vigilanceI just do not see the Cincinnati Airport as needing that much vigilance. It is a big airport, but it is mostly deals with connecting flights, so security here is only as good as the airport where the flight originated.

Ohioans: Get bin Laden before focusing on IraqAn interesting poll, but only of 860 randomly selected Ohioans. I have no clue as to the geographic breakdown of the poll. Did they get a cross section of people from Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, and Toledo? Or is this more of just a Columbus area poll?

Daugherty: The little team that almost couldWhat the hell title is that? When Miami loses why do we get our noses rubbed in it with rude titles like "little?" I don't think Daugherty could have been any more condescending while trying to be semi-complimentary. I guess Miami is not Ohio State, and he will not give Miami credit unless we give in and act like Ohio A&M. Daugherty should really just move to Columbus if he wants McCollege Football. I will settle for a Maisonette School any day of the week.

SMITH AMOS: Twitty caseWhy can't many in the black communtiy, including Mrs. Smith Amos see why certain violations of the law are different than others? Why are they comparing Twitty to Roach? I know why they are, becasue they are different races and have been charged with different crimes. They want one punishment fits all for police. Why people understand that actions take in the course of office police duties, and those taken on personal time, warranted different punishments, now matter what the scope of damage. Intent, motivation, and duty are things that differ. I also find it be offensive that many in the black community automatically assume that since Twitty got felony indictments for a car wreck, white Roach got misdemeanor indictments for actions causing the death of a man, then it must be some kind of racial injustice. They do not want to look at the facts of the cases. Many seem to think that police officer's should not be allowed to use any force in the apprehension of wanted suspects. If they do use force, they want them put in jail, assuming the suspect was black, not matter what justification existed. I find it to be bigoted and often racist how most black activists assume that because a black person is being arrested, it must be the caused by white cops and their "racism."

I feel like I am beating my head against a wall. I do not know why so many people are prejudiced against whites in this city. We are assumed to be racist by the color of our skin. We are fair game for have eggs and bottles thrown at us if we drive down Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine, which reportedly happened again after Riverfest last weekend. I do not get it. I know that some say that why I don't get it is the real problem. I am blind to their "plight." I am not blind to it, I think more than half of the "plight" of "black" people is in their heads. I am sure I am bigot and a racist for saying the obvious, but hey, I must be racist after all, I am white.

BRONSON: Men onlyBronsonWatch:Bronson is lying or at best so lazy to not take 15 minutes to find out a few facts before he put fingers to keyboard. Here(pdf file) is proof. The request made to the Masters was to "..review your polices and practices in this regard..." Martha Burk did "tell" Hootie Johnson to do anything. She made a request, which he then responded to like he was under fire from Sherman's Army. I suggest Peter read a column by Jim Caple of ESPN. It's title sums up Hootie Johnson very succulently: "Hard to take a Hootie seriously."

I know Peter regularly keeps his head in the sand, but does he even read anything outside of other conservatives’ columns? Hootie Johnson’s actions were widely viewed as foolish, and were akin to a provocation. He has the legal right to keep Augusta National in the dark ages, but for Peter to paint this is a NOW attack on his manhood is rather overblown. I think Peter should be more worried about Laura Pulfer besting him as the Enquirer’s marquee columnist, which I think she did before he even started.

Saturday, September 07, 2002

Dirty Laundry, Online for All to SeeThis was a huge story I missed. I for one am glad we are able to gain easy access to all court documents and data. This data is all public record, open to everyone. If you want to keep yourself secret, then don't end up in court. I have used this site very often. I used it to get a copy of the Indictment of Ron Twitty. I also have used it to look up the legal history of Nate Livingston, which is very, very long. Those who fear this are over reacting. You can't get bulk data, so telemarketers or Junk Mailers really can't do much. A stalker can still be traced by his Internet account. I am sure each visitor to the site is tracked by IP address and by ISP provider. This is just another panicky attitude of people who fear an open society. If someone wants to know where you live they can. If you file a lawsuit, and the information is in the court records, the press can find out whether it is online or not.

Cincinnati repeals ban on masksI guess this law had good intentions, but it seemed rather silly. Changing the law to settle a lawsuit is a painless way to handle a situation that should not have really been there in the first place.

Allen's decision lauded as wiseThis is a short-run pragmatic choice. In the long-run it will be a problem. The next black person, who the black person indicted against the wishes of the black activists, will get the press and attention whores out in full force claiming that white person can't sit in judgment of that person. This idea has been put forward from the hate group backers, but this gives them more fuel for future cases. Mike had no other choice. The media was not going to let go, they smelled blood, and had a pound of flesh, while looking for more.

Frailey's devotion 'dazzled' boardOnly 41 years old? Does he have the needed experience for such a monumental job? He was a school board member of a different school district from where he worked. He has political blood in him, so that will have good and bad values to it. How will the community react to him? Will he get support from specific parts of the community simply because of his race? My asking that question I am sure ruffles the feathers of some, but I believe it is a fair question, which does not get asked by much of the media when the person is black.

I have my human weakness. One of them is self congratulation. I have to promote RoadSassy's comments about this blog. I also must thank Zee, editor of Roadsassy, for just reading this little attempt at amateur commentary. I will keep on blogging. I hope a few people are reading. I do wish Zee would have better options when trying to listen to Talk Radio. I was forced to turn it off several times this week. That was not a bad thing for getting more done at work, but it is a bad thing for public discourse in this city.

Black leaders relieved Twitty gets new juryThis article is troubling. Why does the newspaper seek out reaction from the black community? The newspaper appears to be confirming that this issue is a race issue. I, and many others, would claim this is a self-made race issue. It was made such not by those who are prosecuting Twitty, it is being made by Twitty, his advisers, and the every opportunist in the black community. This is again a sign of unfair treatment from the Media. The media is treating the black community as some type homogenous group, something most activists knowingly perpetuate. That collectivism and the “us vs. them“ mentality is one of the major causes of problems today. That kind of mentality is a bigoted and sometimes a racist attitude. If you are bigoted towards people, in this case whites, you are not going to get positive feedback from most whites. Oh, but I am sure that I will be called a racist for even thinking blacks could be bigoted or racist. Note the sarcasm in case you not awake yet this morning.

Friday, September 06, 2002

Queen City Soapbox: The First Proto-bloggerI agree in general that Paul Harvey does fit the idea of a Prot-blogger, but I just really hate Paul Harvey's bias. Chris's post references Paul Harvey’s method where he does mix his "news" with commentary. That method is one of the larger blogish characteristics. When Paul Harvey does that it makes my skin crawl. He appears to be directly referring to GOP talking points in all of his commentary. It is nothing that sounds original. Most bloggers today, liberal, conservative, libertarian, or populist all give a little bit of their own ideological spin on issues. Harvey just walks in total step the latest GOP dogma. Harvey's little "rest of the story" segments can be interesting sometimes, but I really think it is time for him to hang up the microphone.

Police Officers Shot At in Walnut Hills"The suspect is described as African-American man with a two-inch "Afro," between 20-26 years-old, about 5'10", 180-190 pounds, wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans and armed with a handgun. "
This is a very general description. This could be the general description of 50% of the drug dealers in the city.

Second Grand Jury To Convene To Hear Twitty CaseThis makes Mike Allen look like he really screwed up by not at least attempting to have Fagel removed. It looks more like he caved in to pressure. Most of the pressure that was effective came from the Media. They gave birth to this story and with help from the Buzz, made it into greatest case of guilt by suspicion I have seen in a while. Jay Love on the Buzz really comes across as either an ignorant fool, a Willie Cunningham wanna be, or just as a instigator of baseless anger. He has declared the first grand jury as "fixed", which any blind squirrel knows to be bullshit.

The one fact Jay missed all week on this issue is fact that he knows who Mr. Fagel is. The fact that that Mr. Fagel's name is known is evidence to support that he was not illegally planted on the Grand Jury. If he were not the foreman, no one would have known he was on that jury. If the "fix was in", surely they would have kept his name from being known to the public. At this point, there could have been a black police officer or another city employee on the Grand Jury. We are not going to know, under the current circumstances, but Jay does not want to think things through. He has is target. He has his Mark Furman, so he can now let the OJ part deux commence.